The history of Rome, according to British Journalist H.V. Morton, is both “exhilarating and oppressive for the traveler.” Within the span of the last week and half, I have experienced Italy’s “fatal charm,” that Barzini talks about in The Italians and it can be both exhilarating and oppressive. The fatal charm that has drawn me in has been the unique architecture, delicious food, art, and the people of Italy.
Since being here the trip has been exhilarating in a couple ways. The first is all of the history of the buildings that I have absorbed in such a short period of time. I feel so blessed to be here and to be able to catch a somewhat short train ride into Rome and see all the beautiful architecture, and historical buildings that Italy has to offer. Being able to stand right next to Italy’s ruins that have been around for centuries is exhilarating for me.
The second reason why Italy is so exhilarating to me is because of the great food. I’ve eaten “Italian” food in America many times, but eating food here is completely different. The food here is so simple, but yet so good! I never thought just one main ingredient like tomato sauce over noodles could taste so good! Americans put so much salt, and added preservatives in their food that I am not used to the simplicity of Italian cuisine. When I take a bite into an Italian piece of pizza or devour gelato on a hot day for lunch, I am exhilarated by how great the food is.
Even though there are many exhilarating qualities that Italy has to offer, there is one that is “oppressive” to me. This is my first time being in another country and not being able to understand the language. Before coming to Italy, I took a couple years of Italian in high school and a year at Walsh, but it is so different actually applying the language now that I’m here. At Walsh, I’m used to passing people I know and not being afraid to talk to them. From ordering food to figuring out the directions in Italian is oppressive to me because it is a difficult language that I am used to. I’ve never been afraid to ask questions or start up a friendly conversation, but here I am. Here, I get a confused expression on Italians faces when I attempt to communicate with them. I am slowly learning the language and attempting to speak it outside of the classroom, so hopefully my Italian improves over the course of being here.
Ever since I’ve been here I have had exhilarating and oppressive experiences, and have been drawn into Italy’s ‘fatal charm.” But, being able to travel abroad to another country and learning all about a new culture is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
It was really interesting to see the differences between your exhilarating experiences and you oppressive ones. I think that the exhilarating things are pretty evident and expected of most people traveling, but it's certainly something new to actually be experiencing them. It's kind of strange the how the ideas you get in your head about a place are so different then what those places are actually like. It really makes it hard to know what to expect. I think that it's great to see how excited about the new things you are experiencing.
ReplyDeleteI love how you describe how oppressive it is to struggle with language difficulties. It really puts things in a new perspective when you go through something like that. I'm really glad that you included those feelings in your blog, because it's not something that I immediately thought of this week. However, it's so true; language barriers change everything. I hope that we can learn some of the language and get a little more comfortable soon on this trip!
Barbie,
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you talked about the simplicity of the Italian food. It’s surprisingly how things made simple can taste better then filling it up with ingredients and preservatives. About the language barrier, I think everyone is passing by that now. Being out of your comfort zone is hard but hopefully as the weeks pass we get to learn more of the language.